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2015-10-01

Crumb

Crumb
(Terry Zwigoff, 1994)

An intimate portrait
of the controversial cartoonist and his traumatized family.

Back in my
CEGEP years (equivalent of College) I had access to a huge library of comic
books. Sometimes I would read comics that I never heard of or read about. When
I got into Robert Crumb’s it was a
revelation and a schock to me. His irreverent humor, social satire, and
explicit sexual material (believe me for a seventeen year old it was something)
left a permanent mark in my memory.

It was not
until about ten years later I was in a book store in Manhattan that I read
again a Crumb comic. This time I noticed his name and just by the drawings and
the subjects I recognized the artist.

On the other
hand, I must admit being a huge fan of documentary and no matter what the
subject is I will be stuck to the screen. Just read my ecstatic review of Steve James’
Hoop Dreams
for example. Plus, Crumb is
considered as a cult film and an essential viewing.

Terry Zwigoff’s portrait of the cartoonist Robert
Crumb is one of the most intense and truthfull depictions of a man, his
inspirations, and his life. Being an outcast as a teenager which more people
actually are and can relate to, he concentrated on drawing as a way to exorcise
his demons and his frustrations. Also following his older Charles who he sees
as his superior and a better artist than he is. We also encounter their mother
and Robert’s other brother Maxon who begs on the streets of San Francisco and
paints beautifully.

This is more
than a straight portrait of a man and there seems to be no filters to what is
being presented to us. Just like Robert’s drawings that are a mirror of his subconscious,
his sexual desires, and his views of society and life. Robert is shown as a
recluse but also a funny man that loves his family, especially Sophie and Jesse.

The context
of creation of Robert Crumb’s art is what interested Zwigoff with his film and
it is well shown with the time taken to interview his past girlfriends and his
family. There is nothing fake about this documentary and this is what comes out
first. It gave me the urge to get my pencils out and try to draw something.
Maybe someday I’ll publish some of my sketches on this blog just to spread it a
bit. But I digress.

Filmed in
nine years by Zwigoff, this work of dedication paid off and is still considered
as a must. In fact, this is a mandatory documentary that represents a facet of
American alienation and a resonant effect of the forced conformism of society
in a world of contempt for outsiders, artists, and intellectuals.